Julian date converter
See today's Julian date, turn a printed code like 26293 into a date, or a date into its code. The astronomers' Julian Day is here too.
Day-of-year calendar
Converted. Checking stock on a shelf? The app scans product barcodes in a second and keeps a list you can export.
The iPhone app- 01
See today
The top box shows today's date as YYDDD, YYYYDDD and YDDD, using your own time zone.
- 02
Convert
Pick Code → date and type the digits as printed, or Date → code and pick a date. Julian Day converts astronomical day numbers.
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Use the calendar
Open the day-of-year calendar for any year, with today marked, and print it for the wall.
Two different things called Julian date
In factories, warehouses and the military, a Julian date is the day of the year: 1 January is 001 and 31 December is 365 (366 in a leap year). It is printed with the year in front, as YYDDD (26293), YYYYDDD (2026293) or YDDD (6293). Makers use it on packaging and batch codes because it is short and sorts in order.
Astronomers mean something else: the Julian Day, a running count of days since 1 January 4713 BC, which starts at noon. 1 January 2000 at noon is Julian Day 2451545. Software and satellite data use it to subtract dates easily.
Reading codes on packaging
A 4-digit code like 6293 only has the last digit of the year, so it could be 2026 or 2016. The converter shows the most likely year first and the others below. What the date means (made, packed or best before) is the company's choice; their customer service can tell you how to read their codes.
What is today's Julian date?
It is shown at the top of this page, worked out from your device's date: the last two digits of the year followed by the day of the year (001–366).
How do I read a Julian date code?
The last three digits are the day of the year, and the digits before them are the year. 26293 is day 293 of 2026, which is 20 October 2026.
What is the Julian date calendar for 2026?
2026 is not a leap year, so it runs from 001 (1 January) to 365 (31 December). Open the day-of-year calendar on this page for the full table.
Why is it called a Julian date?
The day-of-year codes borrowed the name from the astronomers' Julian Day count, which goes back to the scholar Joseph Scaliger in 1583. Neither is the same as the old Julian calendar of Julius Caesar.
How do leap years change Julian dates?
In a leap year 29 February is day 060, so every date after it is one number higher than in other years: 1 March is 061 instead of 060.
What is the Julian Day number today?
Shown in the top box at midnight UTC. A Julian Day starts at noon UTC, so midnight ends in .5.
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